– The purpose of this trip was mainly to follow up and put pressure on human rights issues in Qatar, which have been a topic for many years now, he wrote to channel.
– Although we have decided not to be present at the stadium during the match, we have to be present in Qatar when the World Cup starts to carry out what our members have told us to do, which is to apply pressure both before, during and after the championshipKlaveness wrote.
Two weeks ago, Klaveness said he was still considering a trip to Qatar during the World Cup. He has previously stated that no shopkeepers or employees of the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) should be allowed to watch the game, other than the men’s national team analyst.
Critics
In March this year, Klaveness took to the podium at the FIFA congress and hurled harsh criticism at the federation and the World Cup hosts in a speech that caught the world’s attention. He repeated that criticism in October during a hearing convened by the Council of the European Parliamentary Assembly:
– We still need to talk about some of the elephants in the room: We have to make sure that unexplained deaths are investigated. The voice of workers and their right to organize. Criminalization of homosexuals, homosexuals being hunted down. Change has to be permanent before we can talk about leaving a legacy around this, says committed Klaveness in her post.
The NFF has been very critical of FIFA awarding the football World Cup to Qatar. Klaveness called the allocation process “rotten”.
Controversial
In 2010, Qatar was awarded the football World Cup in a controversial manner. Over the years, the Gulf state has received harsh criticism for its lack of human rights and poor treatment of guest workers.
Norway failed to qualify for the WC in Qatar. The extraordinary football parliament in June last year voted not to boycott the championship. The result was what the NFF wanted, but the association promised to put pressure on FIFA and the host nation.
The Football World Cup kicks off on Sunday 20 November.
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